#WSJ: "US suspends "maximum pressure" on Iran"

Has Iran caught a break from the White House? A directive came down last week from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to pause all new sanctions activity toward Iran. President Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, a source close to the White House tells us, is now stuck running in place, the Wall Street Journal reported.

According to a White House source, Trump used this strategy during his first term and resumed it after taking office in January.

In an interview with the WSJ, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly did not deny this information and said that any new decision on sanctions would be announced either by the presidential administration or "appropriate agencies."

The United States last announced the expansion of sanctions against Iran in mid-May, against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations over its nuclear program. According to the media outlet, the Treasury Department has postponed the announcement of tightening restrictions at least three times.

Recall that indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran over Iran's nuclear program, mediated by Oman, began in April. After the fifth round of negotiations, the parties agreed to continue discussions.